European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced on Wednesday "It is my privilege to announce that the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their President, elected leaders and civil society."
Metsola's announcement was met with a standing ovation by members of the European Parliament.
"There is no one more deserving of this prize," she added.
The EP president went on to say "For the past 9 months, Ukrainians [have] heroically defended their country, their liberty, their homes, their families. But the Ukrainian people are also risking their lives for Europe, to safeguard the values that we all believe in; Freedom, democracy, the rule of law. There is no one more deserving of this prize. I know that the brave people of Ukraine will not give up and neither will we."
Upon learning of the Sakharov Prize award to the Ukrainian people, President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter "Ukrainians prove dedication to the values of freedom, democracy every day on the battlefield against the terrorist state of the Russian Federation."
This report contains information sourced from Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
